[RPG] [BT][RIO] Of Cookies and Daimons

[Shishouro Kiryoku]

====[Three Days Prior]====

"Mistress? Mistress Simca, are you awake?"

Louise waited for a response, when none was given, she opened the door to
the bedroom. The room was dark, silent, on the only bed, was a huddled, hump
of mass. Louise approached the bed, the blanket appeared to be shaking very
slightly.

"Mistress, you must get up. You can not spend the entire day inside again.
Come, there is plenty of entertainment to be found in Grehk, but you must
get up."

No response. Louise looked around the bed. On the nightstand, a dinner tray
rested. The food untouched, was no covered with a few ants, and two flies
were buzzing around.

"Come, look, Grand Justiciar Lexington has sent a box of cookies. . .
Mistress, you must eat. Honestly, men will not be lining up to court a twig"

The jest failed to arouse Simca. Instead she continued to lay in the bed,
tightly curled up in the fetal position. Suddenly Simca's hand reached out
for the blanket and began to pull it back over her. Louise began to get
irritated. Not knowing what exactly happened in the Netherworld, she figured
it was not worth bringing up again. However, things could not be left to
progress this way.

"I am sorry Mistress, this is for your own good."

Louise wrenched the blanket back, grabbed the torso of Simca and flipped her
around. A look of confusion and terror on Simca's face, her eyes glazed over
as if she were mind was still trapped elsewhere. Louise reared back, *BAA~~N*,
her open hand left a bright red palm print on the Simca's left cheek. The
effect was immediate, Simca's eyes began to regain their color, but her face
still was showings signs of terror.

"N-N-N-no~~"

"Get a hold of yourself! You are in Grehk, Riombara. Do not make me give you
another slap!"

Simca's head shooks slowly back side-to-side, moving slower--

"Here-"

Louise grabs a cookie from the Small Lakes Bakery Box and shoves the oatmeal
raisin cookie into Simca's mouth.

"Chew!"

Slowly, Simca began to chew, the look of terror on her faces fades away, her
cheek still beaming red, her tears stop. Finishing her cookie, Louise grabs
another and puts it in Simca's mouth more gently this time. Simca raises her
hand to grab hold of this chocolate chip cookie. The two of them take their
time, eating the cookies. Neither one speaks until the end. At the end, it
is Louise who speaks first.

"Come Mistress, lets get you a bath."



====[The Day Before]====

Two days had passed, Simca's recovery was slowly progressing. Recently she
began eating normal meals, not just snacks of cookies, bread, and assorted
pastries. Just before the sunset, two days ago, she left her residence to
walk the streets. However, she would not leave sigh of her residence, and
she walked very slowly, her eyes constantly scanning the surroundings.

Yesterday, she took a walk, and made it to the city center of Grehk. She was
a bit more calm, keeping her head from constantly moving, only allowing the
eyes to scan every once and awhile. Louise was impressed with the recovery
rate, soon she would be able to return to 'normal' or at least Louise hoped
she would.

It came suddenly that Louise had lost sight of Simca, spinning around she
immediately scanned for her presence. Oh dear, what if something happened to
her. She is still not fully recovered. It took a few seconds before she
noticed Simca standing in front of a shop. Approaching her, followed the
eyes of Simca to a display of cookies. I guess she wants the cookies. Well,
this IS the first time she wants to buy something. Thus it went that Louise
helped Simca to buy a pack of cookies, sugar cookies they were.

However, today came a new challenge. Louise had been monitoring the
messages, filtering out the ones that mentioned 'Daimons', 'Undead', &
'Battle'. Louise was fully aware of the plan a foot, to dislodge the Daimons
in Riombara. Time for a little 'Shock' Treatment.

"Mistress, you have recieved orders to move out to Mio Dupkai immediately.
You need to arrive by sunrise."

"Louise, why are we going to Mio Dupkai?"

Louise hesitated, she did not want to mention the 'Daimons' were the reason,
but what could she do.

"Mistress, you are a knight of Mio Dupkai. The region is in need of some
assistance. The civil infrastructure there is becoming hard to maintain.
Your presence would help to maintain the region. That is why you need to go.
It is your duty, is it not?"

"I see, you are right Louise. I can not abandon the region." Simca pauses
for a brief bit before continuing. "We are only needed to assist in civil
work, correct?"

"Yes, Mistress, that is all you will need to do."

"Very well, let us move out at once."

Louise was suddenly overcome with mixed feelings. Shame and disgust for
tricking her Mistress this way. A sort of relief that Simca did choose to
flee from the Daimons. Anticipation for the encounter to come. And new
worry, as how to keep Simca on the battlefield and from retreating. The last
part, required a new plan, for which Louise now had less than 8 hours to
formulate.



====[Today]====

Simca, flanked by her scribe Louise and Captain Gismar, arrived at the open
field just outside of Mio Dupaki. Already taking up positions were a huge
coalition of the Southern Nations. Banners from various realm could be seen,
Einweil, Luz de Bia, & Caras Galadhon. A lone contingent of Calvary were
assembling bearing the Riombaran Crest, the 4th Archive Guards, Minister
Herkan's personal unit. A strange look of confusion came over Simca's face
upon seeing the massive gathering of troops, who appeared to be readying for
battle.

"Lo-Louise, what is going on? I thought you said we were going to preform
Civ--", as Simca began to speak, Louise gave a nod to Captain Gismar who
then walked over to Noble in mid-speech, and without warning his drawn right
arm rushed forward in an upper-cutting motion connecting with gut of the
confused Noble.

The soft armor failed to absorb the impact of the punch, and Simca felt all
the air in her lungs rush out at once. The strength in her legs left her in
an instant and they crumpled beneath her as she fell forward. Captain Gismar
caught her in his arms as the body of the Noble went limp. The world in
front of Simca began to shrink, turning dark and fuzzy. The last thing she
saw, was the blurred image of Louise's face.

"Forgive me." Whispered Captain Gismar. Turning his head towards Louise he
continued, "Louise, is this all really necessary?"

"Captain Gismar, you have seen it too. Ever since she returned from the
Netherworld, the Mistress has not been the same. I was beginning to make
progress these past few days, but even still, she can not neglect her duties
as a noble. I wish there was a better way, but this is all I can think of to
keep her from running away. It may be cruel, but the world is not all roses
and candy."

The two of them looked down at the face of the now sleeping Noble. Captain
Gismar rose up holding the limp body of Simca in both hands and followed
Louise to the edge of the battlefield. Beneath a tall oak tree, he laid her
body down, propping her up against the trunk. Simca's face looked so calm,
so peaceful, so innocent, as a child dreaming.

"But- what if she wakes up? During the battle I mean."

"What? You held back with your punch? I thought you understood to knock her
out for at least a day!"

"I am sorry, but, this- . . . never mind. Here, use this-" Captain Gismar
rose, reaching behind his back began to draw a short sword as he faced
Louise, but she cut him off mid-sentence. Drawing her own dagger from her
back as she spoke.

"I appreciate the sentiment, but I have my own. Do not worry about the
Mistress. I will watch over her, and if she is in danger we will leave at
once. Return to the Spears and prepare to face the Daimons."

====================================
(Two Hours into the battle)

Simca began to stir beneath the oak tree. Louise realizing that she would
soon wake grabbed the nearest battlefield messenger.

"Quick, ride out to Captain Gismar, and tell him that Lady Simca is
awakening. Look here, this is the insignia that their banners will be
flying, he should be right over there. Tell him that I, Louise, will be
escorting Lady Simca away from the battlefield. He and the other Spears
should follow shortly. Hurry!" Louise hurriedly showed him the Insignia of
the Spear of Genesis and pointed in the direction of the battlefield that
the unit should have been occupying.

After the messenger had left, Louise signaled for some help from some
bystanders, who helped pick-up the semi-unconscious noble. She then followed
as them as they carried the noble far from the screams and roars that filled
the battlefield.
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